I accomplished quite a bit this week. It’s because my childcare kiddos weren’t here and thank goodness they weren’t. I needed the time to work on this quilt. It’s the tulip quilt that is scheduled to be in American Patchwork and Quilting in the Spring of 2022…but it needs to be finished by March 15th. Oh my.
This quilt has been a comedy of cutting errors that hasn’t been very funny. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever made so many miscuts in my entire life. There is nothing wrong with the pattern…nothing wrong with the design. Everything is wrong with me!!
I cut too many red-colored pieces for the center of the nine-patch blocks. Like 25 too many. Oh my. My cutting errors didn’t end there.
I somehow cut double the amount of rectangles needed for the nine-patch blocks. That left me with not enough fabric for the setting triangles. UGH. Nowhere local had Bella Solid Porcelain. I ended up ordering from Whittles Fabrics. The gals there were GREAT!! I highly recommend them for online fabric. If you are looking for a Bella Solid or Grunge fabric, they have them all! The prices are great too. You can find them HERE.
I ordered from them Monday and the fabric was here in Thursday’s mail. I got the whole thing sewn into strips with no setting triangles.  Here the strips are waiting for fabric.
Then I decided I could cut the fabric I had and I could make as many setting triangles as possible. Then I could at least get a few rows sewn together.
Well, then the next cutting error. I cut corner triangles thinking they were side triangles. I honestly screamed.
About then I realized, “Jo, you really bit off a lot. This quilt is too big and won’t fit on your frame!! What were you thinking??” Yes, I talk to myself. That’s when I decided I better message Carla of Longarm Quilting Inspirations and see if she could bump me into her schedule. I just hated to do that but what could I do. The quilt was too big for my frame.
So many messages back and forth to Carla and she said yes. Now the pressure was on me to get it to her ASAP.
While waiting for the fabric to come I decided to move on to my next deadline quilt… I managed to get three blocks done… I love these. So here’s your clue on this quilt. It’s going to be scrappy!! HA!
Thursday the fabric came. I had to clear off the next project and get back to the tulip quilt. I sat myself down at the sewing machine and sewed and sewed until it was together as a top. I went to iron and guess what?? I turned one block in the quilt and had to rip the block out. Of course, it was in the center of the quilt. UGH.
I was up until 9:30 trying to get it finished and ironed. I made it. But then I needed the backing and that was another task. I didn’t order enough fabric. BLAH. Seriously…I love this quilt but I just couldn’t do anything right with it.
The back was finished Friday morning and I messaged Carla that it was ready. Before I passed my baby on for quilting, I snapped a few photos. I love comparing the top only to the quilted tops. This is your sneak look…
Carla picked the quilt up on Friday and now it’s her baby and I don’t have to worry about it. YAHOO.
I went back to my next deadline quilt I’m calling Maker’s Market. The blocks finish at 9 x 9 and I need 81 of them. I’m going to keep clipping along on this one. I don’t want to be teetering on the deadline quite so close on this one.
Here I have a bunch of blocks cut. There are only 48 here. Each stack has three blocks that are cut out in it.
I ended up getting the rest cut out. It wasn’t the easiest cutting them out. There really wasn’t a fast way to do it.
I have more blocks made…this is just 12 of the 81 I need to make. I’ll keep plugging along.
I’ve abandoned all of my other sewing putting all of my efforts into this one. As I said, I don’t want to run the deadline quite so close on this project…plus, I have a HUGE case of wanting to spring clean. I’m making myself hold off on that until this quilt is done…and I need to stop and get my taxes done too. Oh my, what a busy time!
That’s where I am this week…Next week I hope to have a minimum of 30 blocks complete. We’ll see…The blocks aren’t speedy blocks to sew and I have quite a few other things on my plate too!
Your tulip quilt is absolutely beautiful. I’m sorry to hear about your cutting issues. Just proves we are all human and it’s okay to make mistakes occasionally. I’m enjoying reading your blog and seeing all the beautiful quilts that have been finished. I am getting my sewing mojo back by reading and seeing all the beautiful quilts that you post. It’s close to two years that I haven’t done any sewing but now I am ready to return to my sewing.
Wow Jo! Despite the problems you had with the Tulip quilt, it looks fabulous! And the Makers Market looks like it’s also going to be just as fabulous! You have such a good eye for colours and patterns :)
Wow! That Tulip quilt is a show stopper! I’m looking forward to seeing it after Carla’s magic. Your Makers Market is going to be every bit as beautiful. I’m looking forward to seeing them in the magazines.
love that quilt can hardly wait to get tbe pattern. It’s so easy to get carried away when cutting and pull a boo boo. It happened to me recently, I ended up having to alter the pattern because I was short by 10 inches and couldn’t find the material anywhere in town. It looks good so I’m happy with the change.
Blessed with a creative heart you are, Jo. Just remember to breathe, stay hydrated , and keep looking up – angels are abound with gratitude and love.
Beautiful quilt. I love it. Don’t forget to remind us when it is published!
Such beautiful quilt tops! Absolutely gorgeous. Once I bought a kit for a lap quilt and cut it up wrong. Can’t believe I did it and it still sits as I can’t figure what to do with those weird sizes. I’m sure your deadline stressed you out some and I hope this week is better. Take care and stay safe.
The tulip quilt is beautiful and is going to be a big hit! You need to name it Tulip Troubles, Tasking Tulips, Tulip Tribulations or Tormenting Tulips after all of that! But I sure think it’s pretty!
Loving the look of Maker’s Market!
Love and prayers
So you are saying that Murphy’s Law is still working? LOL Your quilt is beautiful. I really like the one you are working on now too.
I love both your quilts. Beautiful colors. TULIP TRIBULATIONS (lol) looks so much like spring. I so enjoy your blog and your sweet beagle.
The tulip quilt is gorgeous!! I like the red and white and then with the green – beautiful!! I can hardly wait to see it in the magazine. The scrappy quilt is going to be beautiful too!
I always love a one block quilt with lots of fabrics and this is a fun block where you could mix it up a lot of different ways.
The tulip quilt belongs on a magazine cover! Seriously, what quilter wouldn’t buy a magazine with that on the cover?!
I adore tulips, especially red and yellow together, hmm. :)
Maybe the Tulip Quilt is telling you to slow down and enjoy the spring flowers. After the true deadlines for magazines, sit and enjoy the process of your needlework. Or the grandkids. Ok I did not ask for this.
Jo, love the tulip quilt . . . great looking quilt!
I love the tulip quilt too!! There are some projects where nothing seems to go right. But you persisted and overcome. Good for you Jo!! But I was amused with Donna’s renaming the pattern.
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The tulip quilt is going to be a big hit, such a neat setting. I must admit that I did lol when I saw you with it on your head! glad you finished it and I cant wait to see what Carla does with it. Some days we just get out of bed wrong and the day gets no better.
I think we can all relate to your frustration with your cutting mistakes. We’ve all been there for sure. It was strangely comforting to see that even a pro like you has those days. I am trying to get back into sewing some garments. I’m very rusty so I made some errors, almost a catastrophic one which would have resulted in much murdered thread lol
I can’t wait for the new scrappy quilt pattern! I am obsessed with it. Its so beautiful and I need to make it. :)
LOVE that photo of you and the tulip top, Jo!!! Best of luck with all those scrappy blocks. Hoping that quilt is kinder to you than the tulips were!
Oh Jo. What a week you have had and yet you persevered and got it done! You are a trooper. Love the quilt and I can’t wait to see where those wonderful scrappy blocks end up. I have a ton of civil war that would look great in those blocks. Don’t forget to let us know when and where they are published.
Love, love, love the tulip quilt. I will have to make sure my subscription is still going when that issue comes out. I am always amazed by how much you can get done.
I LOVE the Tulip Quilt and look forward to seeing the pattern. Is it paper-pieced? I hope not as I just can’t get the hang of paper-piecing. AND I continue to love Rosie – in love with a dog I’ve never met!
The Tulip quilt is gorgeous! American Patchwork and quilting is the only magazine I still get. The new Scrappy pattern is really cute. I noticed that it is not made with all half Square triangles. I hope whoever writes the pattern does it as you’ve sewn it. I’m tired of paying for patterns that are all half Square triangles and then I have to rewrite the pattern for Less sewing and cutting lines.
Jo, those quilts are stunning! Sorry for all the trouble the Tulip quilt caused you, but that happens alot to all of us it seems. I am just in love with the second quilt. I am definitely going to make that one! You do indeed have a wonderful eye for combining colors. It is one of the issues I struggle with. I am a perfect example of why shops kit up quilts!!! Hopefully this one goes better. I am looking forward to seeing them both “frosted”! Hugs,
Oh my, what a challenge this brought to you. Problem children need the most love. Hang in there, it will all work out.
Good for you for hanging in there and sorting it all out for a timely finish! I identify with those kinds of mis-steps, ha. Both quilts are gorgeous! I have a question when you get caught up – do you buy your background fabric as yardage or in precut collections? I have a hard time finding a good variety of neutral/low-volume fabrics. Thanks.
I’m really liking the scrappy blocks, and the tulip quilt is beautiful. I may have to renew my magazine subscription. Then again, I did a partial clean up of the sewing area, and I still have a lifetime of projects left.
I love your scrappy blocks! A very unusual look.
The tulip quilt is lovely. Thank you for making all the mistakes for us ahead of time. I’ll be looking for the pattern. I wish it was sooner, but it will be worth my patience.